


A Fair Shot

by inn3rstar



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: M/M, also a drug reference so yeah, also mabifica, just mentioned though, some fiddauthor, swearing tw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-26
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-23 17:10:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8335687
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inn3rstar/pseuds/inn3rstar
Summary: Mabel convinces Stan, Ford, Dipper, and Rick to go with her to a weeklong fair in Gravity Falls.Meanwhile, Rick realizes that, just maybe, the life he's rebuilding with Stan is just what he needs.





	

**Author's Note:**

> hoo boy  
> this took a while bUT LOOK I DID IT!!!! 
> 
> ok so enjoy ur gays
> 
> also, mabel was so fun to write dialogue for in this fic, she's just so happy and I love her a lot

Amusement parks and carnivals were never something Rick Sanchez felt he had time for. Sure, he’d been on his fair share of coasters and merry-go-rounds, and it wasn’t that he didn’t like them, he just didn’t really consider investing time in that kind of shit. There were tickets, lines, kids whining, and usually too many rules and restrictions for Rick to have that good of a time.

Besides, he usually didn’t have many people to go with.

Now, though, things had changed for the better (?), and his reward was sitting in the Stanmobile as it drove him and the family of the Mystery Shack toward what could be either a great or abysmal time.

“There’s gonna be roller coasters, so you guys had better man up enough to go on them with me! I think I brought enough money for games, too, so we can all try to win something!” Mabel’s eyes were glinting like two fireflies, and Rick was almost a little terrified at his boyfriend’s niece. 

 

“Mabel, sweetie, those “games” are nothing but cheap tactics at getting your money.” Stan rolled his eyes dramatically, swerving down the road to a fair that was opening for the week. 

“Isn’t that what the Shack’s attractions usually are?”  
“Yeah, Grunkle Stan, you aren’t one to talk--”  
“Can it, nerds!” The car skidded a little more violently as Stan gripped the wheel, but the man couldn’t hide the toothy grin that had been stuck on his face for the better part of the morning.

Ford and Dipper had been slightly hesitant about going, despite Mabel’s rose-colored predictions. Dipper didn’t have great experiences with fairs in Gravity Falls, what with time travel and black eyes, and Ford doubted that the quickly assembled rides were even close to safe. Still, Mabel had been persistent, and the two had agreed that, hopefully, the day could be fun.  
Pulling into the makeshift parking lot, the vehicle shuddered to a stop as a certain bundle of neon flung open her car door. Holding her phone up to the nearby attractions (which were visible enough to make a decent photo), Mabel snapped picture after picture as the rest of the Stanmobile’s inhabitants made their way out of the car.  
“Are you going to be taking photos all day?”  
“DUh, Dipstick, these are going to be perfect scrapbook material. Plus, I’m gonna show them to everyone else tomorrow They’ve gotta see this, especially if they can’t come before the week’s over!”

 

Mabel had begrudgingly accepted the small size of their group. Pacifica doubted she could sneak away from her parents for a whole day (her “dates” with Mabel consisted of late night escapades that weren’t optimal during the day), and Fiddleford was going fishing with Tate. Wendy was working on a summer reading assignment she’d wasted too much time on already, and Soos and Melody were helping her out by doing more of her duties for the week at the Shack. The absentees all were hoping to eventually join the park-goers (since it would be here all week) on another trip, but for now it was simply two sets of twins and Rick.  
Running ahead (and snapping photos), Mabel ran toward the fair as Dipper joined her. Ford followed suit, leaving Stan and Rick walking at a slower pace toward the neon-lit carnival.  
“You know, there’s a lot of nice attractions here, but there’s still only one thing that I’m attracted to.” Winking at the man beside him, Stan laughed at his own line as Rick proceeded to shove him aside.  
“Shut up, you g-geezer.” Actually, Rick’s love for Stan’s corny jokes knew no bounds, but that was a secret best kept quiet. He’d never hear the end of it if Lee found out. Of course, there was a good chance his boyfriend already knew. Some things didn’t need to be said, and Rick was never one for getting all sappy.

Usually.

The bundle of Pines (plus one Sanchez) regrouped around the first couple of rides and stands bordering the parking lot. Looking around, it was evident that, however thrown together the event was, there were definitely enough attractions to keep anyone entertained for at least a few hours.

Clapping her hands together, Mabel broke the silence.  
“So! I don’t know about you guys, but I’m definitely hitting up anything that’s crazy and stomach-dropping! Any takers?”  
“Mabel, dear, fair roller coasters are like astronaut ice cream bars. They might turn out okay, but there’s too many reasons why people prefer the actual thing. These rides can’t even be remotely safe.”  
“Grunkle Ford, you worry too much. Tons of people have already ridden these rides, and I’m sure they’re fine! I mean, there’s safety laws and stuff, and nothing’s gonna stop me from getting tossed sky-high on these!”  
“That’s gonna happen for sure if these things aren’t bolted down. No offense, Mabel, but you couldn’t drag me on one of those if my life depended on it. Which it doesn’t. You can force me to ride actually safe coasters at home, but I’m not even gonna try to tackle these.”  
“Dipstick, c’mon, don’t tell me you’re gonna chicken out too! Fine, I’ll still have Stan and Rick, right?” Flashing a wide smile, Mabel beamed at the two, almost radiating the early afternoon sunlight around her.

“Uh…” Stan pulled at his shirt’s collar (Mabel had forced him into a more comfortable sweater), most likely trying to think of any possible excuse. Rick couldn’t help but grin at the look on his face.

“Sorry, pumpkin, but…my stomach ‘aint what it used to be, you know? I don’t think I can go on anything...potentially vomit-inducing. I’ve been on a ship for months, so I’d suggest giving me some leeway.”

Mabel frowned. “Grunkle Stan, there’s plenty of rides that are calm enough for you! Besides, you’re over your fear of heights! And, after all that wild seafaring, I’m sure you can handle a few little twists and turns!”

 

“I’m not completely ove--” Before he could finish his retort, an arm reached itself across Stanley’s shoulders.

“Aw, c’mon Lee, a-are you scared?” Ending his snide remark with a belch, Rick leered at his boyfriend with a crooked smile he knew could almost always drop Stan’s heart down a few levels.

“Scared? Me?! No way! I just don’t want to puke my guts out or...or fall off!”  
“Aw, y-you’ll be fine. You know I’ve a-always got your back.”

Winking at Stan’s flustered (and pissed off) expression, it was all Rick could do to not kiss him right there. If there was one endearing thing about Stan, it was how goddamn easy it was to turn him into a blushing/angry mess.

It was one of the many imperfect yet beautiful aspects of their relationship.

Their relationship in general was imperfect yet beautiful, to be honest, and they both knew it. But, here they were, together again and arguing over fair rides.

Rick loved it. God, he loved it.  
Mabel, impatiently rocking on the balls of her feet, groaned loudly. “Guuuuys, am I going on the rides alone or not? Believe me, you two are adorable,” she commented, extending an arm toward them, “but the lines are only gonna get longer!”

“Yeah, she’s got a point. You two can do whatever gross old men romance biz that you want, but we should probably hit rides first. Mabel’s going to explode if we don’t get her on an attraction, and I don’t wait to wait for her while she waits in a long line.”

“I’m with Dipper on this one. I’m sure there’s many other interesting stands to look at, but if Mabel wants to ride anything, we should attempt to reach those first.” 

“YES!” Spinning on her toes, Mabel shot finger guns toward Dipper and Ford. “These guys! C’mon, you old lovers, we’ve got a fair to explore, and that means getting me on some rides!” Running off (with Dipper and Ford in tow), Mabel skipped toward the nearest attraction, a neon purple roller coaster.

“Old lovers?” Stan chuckled at the comment before glancing back toward Rick. “Well? We better get started--are you going with Mabel on anything?”

“Pfft, sure. T-those rides can’t hurt me any more than the majority o-of my shitty mistakes already have.” Watching his boyfriend’s expression change to a worried one, Rick quickly positioned both his hands on Stan’s shoulders.  
“That was a joke, babe. You can laugh.”  
“Not funny to me,” Stan murmured, looking away from his lover’s eyes. 

“Hey, I d-didn’t mean anything by it, okay? Besides, ending up with your hot ass kinda cancels out most of the trash I’ve b-been through.” Placing a chaste kiss on Stan’s nose, Rick grinned. “Don’t worry about it. Ready to go on some stupid rides?”

“Hey, who says I’m going on any of them? You and Mabel can have all the fun you want, but leave me out of it!” Stepping away from his boyfriend, Stan gave an unesasy grin. “Nothing can get me on one of those things.”  
By this point, Stan most likely wasn’t even opposed to getting on one of the attractions. He was just being the cocky dork that Rick couldn’t help but fall for all over again every day.  
God, was that a sappy way of putting it. 

Hair bouncing in the afternoon sunlight (it was about 1pm, according to everyone’s phones), Mabel skipped her way over to the nearest ride as her group followed. Luckily, the ride had a fairly short line, with only about five minutes of wait time. Besides its neon purple paint job, the portable roller coaster seemed tame enough. The attraction didn’t have any loops, and seemed to consist of just a single hill and some sharp turns here and there. Rick could handle that. 

Mabel’s smile grew tenfold at Rick’s entrance into the coaster line.  
“Yes! I knew one of you guys would go on a coaster with me!” Snapping a pair of finger guns toward her new comrade, Mabel glared at the remainder of the group. “Anyone else brave enough, or are you guys just all chickens?”

Dipper and Ford took a few steps back, the words “no way” written all over their faces. Stan, however, paused before strutting over to the coaster-riding duo with a smirk. “Well, I can’t let you two have all the fun! Besides, Rick wouldn’t let me hear the end of it if I skipped...ever.”  
“Damn straight.” Thumping Lee on the back, Rick looked over at Mabel. “Have any tissues for this l-loser after the ride?”  
Laughing, Mabel shook her head. “Nope, sorry. I’m still surprised Grunkle Stan got in the line with us!”  
“Hey!”

Stan’s retort left the trio laughing for the remainder of their wait, their giggles subsiding only when it was their turn to board the coaster cars. Stepping back, Mabel let the two men go before her. Rick stepped into a car first, grinning as Stan followed suit. Mabel hopped into the car behind the two, and proceeded to let a giant smile reach her face once again.  
“Eeee! You guys excited? I know it’s not the craziest ride or anything, but roller coasters are always such a blast!”  
“I’m just hoping that I don’t puke, kiddo.”  
“W-wow, babe. You can handle an apocalypse, but not a coaster?”  
“I’ll give you my answer when we’re done.”

The ride started smoothly, and Rick watched as he and his two comrades made their way up the first hill (and, of course, the biggest one). The machinery rattled as the cart slowly glided up to the top, Mabel's excited yelling mixing in with the clanging. Then, in what felt like an hour, the car was finally about to head downward, and Rick couldn’t help but feel a little nervous at the impending stomach-dropping swoosh.

Right as the front car went over the hill, Rick felt Stan tap on his shoulder. Turning toward his boyfriend with a grin--

 

Cliche? Yes. Admittedly awesome? Helllll yes.

The car flew down the hill, wind ripping through his hair as the wheels met more track, but Rick couldn’t see any of it.  
Not that he’d want to.  
This was better.

Stan had lifted Rick’s face toward him, kissing him just as the coaster’s plunge reached full force. A hand snaked its way to the back of his neck, gaining a high-pitched wolf whistle from the shooting star behind them. 

For a split second, Rick had frozen into place, unable to move or have any coherent thoughts. He’d kissed Lee too many times to count when they were younger, everything from chaste pecks in the morning to breath-stealing escapades in the backs of alleyways. 

 

But, these recent developments were different.

This wasn’t “secretly getting it on in the car your boyfriend called home, knowing that whatever this is won’t last.” 

This was “sharing a sweet kiss as all the sounds of a roller coaster ride reach your ears, knowing that you’ve got a chance of keeping it this way.”

Oh, God.

The second passed as Rick’s brain kicked back into gear, and he returned the kiss, placing a hand in Lee’s hair as the car reached the bottom of the hill. 

Laughing, Stan pulled away as the car sped onward. “Well, I think I just found a new way to shake off my nerves.”

“Aw, w-were you scared?”  
“Shut u--”

The coaster reached a series of sharp turns, jerking the couple to the left as Stan gave his retort. Howling with laughter, Rick watched as Stan tightened his grip the handlebars in front of him. Mabel giggled as

“So, how was the ride?”  
“It was awesome, Ford! Did you and the Dipstick have a good time watching us?”  
“Well, we looked the other way in about thirty seconds. I think Stan and Rick got the ride mixed up with the Tunnel of Kinda-Gross Love.”  
“Wow, Dipper, no wonder romance never comes your way.”

“Sixer’s just jealous that his boyfriend isn’t here today.” Strolling over toward the reforming group with Rick in tow, Stan had regained enough confidence to wisecrack.

“Stanley!” Blushing (but hiding a smile nonetheless), Stanford shook his head at the comment. “If Fiddleford joins us this week, you’d better keep your jokes in check.”

“Aw, what’s a fun family event without you two nerds turning tomato red?”  
“...Let’s move on.”

The group progressed through the fair, grabbing a few snacks before looking for their next entertainment stop. Mabel had agreed to doing something non-roller coaster related (pacifying her with ice cream had helped), but couldn’t help but choose the next activity all the same. 

“Guys! They have one of those t shirt stands! You know, where they’ll spraypaint whatever you want! We should all get something!”  
“What, you want us to be matching?”  
“We don’t have to be super matchy or anything, but c’mon, Dipper--it’d be so cool if we at least got some kind of group outfit going on. Think of all the scrapbook possibilities!” Mabel brought back another pair of finger guns, raising an eyebrow at her twin.

Stan gave a thumbs up. “I’m with Mabel on this one. Whaddya say, Sixer?”  
“As long as we can choose our own designs, I’m not opposed to the idea.”

Rick nodded approval as well.

The teenager running the stand looked 17 years old and more than a little fatigued, and seemed almost afraid of the neon angel grinning in front of their eyes.  
“Hey! Can we get some custom t shirts?”  
They must have been quite a sight, as the employee seemed to freeze in place for a second. Mabel looked about to explode, Dipper and Ford were awkwardly trying to smile, and Stan grinned as Rick slung his arm around him. 

“Uh...sure! What kind of designs would you like?” The employee snapped to attention, pushing back a strand of green hair and reaching over to grab a book of example artwork.

“Actually, I have a photo on my phone. Is this okay?” Holding out the device, Mabel showed the teen a photo of a doodle Rick didn’t have time to identify. 

“That should be simple enough. Same colors and everything?”  
“Aw yeah!”  
Nodding, the employee turned to the others. “Do you guys also have anything in mind, or would you like to look at the book?”

Dipper and Ford did have something in mind, apparently, as they both strolled toward the front of the group. The duo asked for matching UFO shirts, both with different colors. Mabel squealed at the request, obviously happy for the group involvement. As for Rick and Stan, the two stood in place.  
“Any ideas, or are you j-just gonna stand there?” Tilting his head toward his boyfriend, Rick couldn’t help but grin at the look on Stan’s face. He was obviously thinking way too hard on what to get, most likely trying to one-up everyone else. 

“Well, we’ve gotta have some matching crap going on. No way am I letting those pair of nerds steal the show.”  
Grabbing the book of designs, Rick flipped through the pages. “Hey, how about something l-like this?”  
Looking over his boyfriend’s shoulder, Stan furrowed his eyebrows.  
“Why do you want a shirt saying “Happy Birthday, Perry?” 

“It’s not the sentence, you idiot, it’s the font!” The letters were a mix of bubble letters and thin robotic characters, with a few other strange fonts mixed in. Each letter was shaded and colored differently. In other words, it was a mishmash of differently style letters, and it looked pretty damn awesome.

“It does look pretty cool, I guess. We’ve gotta get matching quotes or something, though.”  
“Did you have something in mind?”  
“You first.”

The two proceeded to rattle off suggestions to other.

“Alcohol and Hangover?”  
“Eh. Just our names?”  
“No way, Lee!”  
“Fine. Thing 1 and Thing 2?”  
“Something like that, yeah!”  
“Con Man 1 and Con Man 2?”  
“Wait, a sec! I think I have it!”  
“What is it? I swear to God if it’s not PG--”  
“Jesus, Stan, give me a chance! Remember what Mabel said earlier today?”  
“....You’re a friggin genius.”

“Oh my god, guys, those are amazing!!” Mabel clapped as she bounced on the balls of her feet, her newly-finished shirt already done and drying. A group of shooting stars flying upwards, each one a different mix of neon colors and outlined in black, the design was definitely a winner. When asked why the stars were heading upward, Mabel had simply said that they deserved to fly where they wanted, instead of crashing down. Rick thought that that was pretty cute and clever, to be frank.  
Dipper and Ford also had their UFO shirts finished, and the three newly-made creations sat on a table in the back of the stand. To ensure that the paint wouldn’t get smeared or damaged, the artist (who happened to be the green-haired teen from before--no wonder they’d seemed so out of it, was anyone else ever running that stand with them?) had asked that they wait about an hour or two before picking them up.  
As for Stan and Rick, their matching “Old Lover #1,” and “Old Lover #2” shirts were halfway completed. Stan grinned as his was put to the side, and the artist shook their head with a chuckle as they started on Rick’s design. “I’ve gotten weird requests before, but this might top them all.”  
“I wouldn’t be surprised.” Rick couldn’t help it, he was smiling like a little kid. The shirts weren’t fashionable or anything, and he’d probably never wear his by himself in public, but it was still another bond holding him and Stan together.  
They could do this.

“All right, does this look good?” The employee held up Rick’s shirt, which glistened as it dried in the late afternoon sun.

“Yeah, t-totally! So, we pick these up in, like, an hour or two?”  
“You got it. Oh, just in case, can one or more of you provide phone numbers in case the shirts are left here by mistake?”

Mabel willingly offered her number, and the group progressed on. After grabbing food at assorted stands, and checking out some “record-breaking” animals, they came across--  
“Aw, yeah! A strength tester! Want me to win you something, babe?” Stan winked at Rick once again, flexing an arm as the group reached the game.  
“Like you’d be able to even pick up the hammer.”

Dipper raised an eyebrow as he read the levels on the meter. “Babycakes, Wimp...charming.” The levels went all the way from “Babycakes” to “SUN’S OUT, GUNS OUT,” and the bell at the top of the meter shone bright as the sun hit the metal finish.

Rick might not be able to read his boyfriend’s mind, but he was 99% sure that Stan was more than willing to pay the two-dollar fee to test his strength.

Five minutes and six dollars later, his point was proven three times over.

“Good job, Stan! You were, like, sooo close to the top--at least you hit Hotter Than You!”  
“Yeah, yeah. Well, I’m not spending any more money on this, so who wants to ride the Ferris wheel?”  
“Heck yeah! C’mon, Dip!” Dragging her twin across the grounds toward the glimmering wheel, Mabel ran toward the ride like her life was on the line. Ford chased after the two, laughing as he was then pulled along by the siblings.

“Want to share a car?” Wiggling his eyebrows comically, Stan grinned at Rick. An involuntary smile made its way back onto Rick’s face (an event that was common these days), and he couldn’t help but take Stan’s hand as the two joined their posse.

“Wellll, I-I’m not sure. Got anything to win me over with?’  
“Get in the car, idiot.” Rolling his eyes in response, Rick joined Stan in a car as Mabel and Dipper grabbed Ford and pulled him into the one in front of the couple. 

The wheel slowly spun again, pulling the riders closer toward either sky or earth. Mabel took out her phone, snapping picture after picture once more of the view. She caught a few with Stan and Rick in the background, and the duo couldn’t help but make some pretty awesome faces. 

Laughing with a giddiness Rick hadn’t found in himself for a while, he turned to his boyfriend with what he imagined was a look of joy and, well, pure fucking sappiness. 

His hunch must have been correct, for Stan replied, “Jeez, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this happy. Okay, maybe a few times, but not for a whole day.”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just…” Pausing, and looking at the sky above them (their cart was on another trip toward the top), Rick sighed. “I’ve fucked up a lot in my life, okay? I’ve done more d-drugs than some songs reference, and don’t even get me started about all the other shit. I just...thanks, you know? I remember back when we were two i-idiots, the high school dropout and aspiring something-or-other, and we both knew whatever we had going on wouldn’t last for long. Well, we were both right and wrong on that o-one, Lee. We fell apart like a bad l-love song, but….here we are, again, and…” Swallowing the lump forming in his throat (fuck, was he going to start crying?) Rick finished his sentence. “I s-swear to God that you and this family and all of this made up for this entire trainwreck I’ve been on, and I love you so f-fucking much and I want it to stay like this for as long as--”

Feeling a tear slide down his face, Rick looked down at his hands--which Stan had intertwined with his own. Stan was crying too, and smiling at Rick like he was seeing religion for the first time. 

“Hey, same here. Jesus, I’d give so much if I could have started over with you earlier, you know that? I love you too, babe, and just--god you’re amazing. Look at you, like, holy hell, I could look at that stupid nerd face of yours for god knows how long, and a life without your smartass jokes...isn’t a life I want to live.” 

Grinning so hard he thought his skin would tear, Rick threw his hands around his boyfriend’s neck as he connected their lips in a sloppy yet all-too-perfect kiss. Hearing a familiar “woohoo!” from the car in front of them, Rick couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. 

Later, Rick would agree with his boyfriend that Mabel had never taken a better photo. It had Stan and Rick kissing, Dipper and Ford making very gross faces, and the shooting star herself cheering in the foreground.  
It was hilariously them, and, as he looked at the photo, Rick realized something.

He was home.


End file.
